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 Arrows rain on SuperSport parade
    Nkareng Matshe
    May 07 2009 at 07:01AM 		Get IOL on your
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Super Stadium was braced for celebrations but, in the end, it was the gold and green colours of Golden Arrows that flew higher last night.

A superb Arrows derailed SuperSport United's planned party at Atteridgeville, scoring a momentous 2-1 victory that was greeted with joy by neutrals keen to see the Absa Premiership title race head into the final day this weekend.

Most delighted will have been Orlando Pirates, but that they could only muster a draw at Ajax Cape Town meant the title is still SuperSport's to lose.

Gavin Hunt's men will be champions again if they do not lose to Santos on Saturday, regardless of how the Buccaneers perform against AmaZulu.
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A draw would have been sufficient here
But as they departed Atteridgeville with heads bowed last night, United will have known that they let themselves down.

A draw would have been sufficient here but a disjointed display allowed Arrows to take a decisive 2-0 lead at half-time, with goals from Nhlanhla Zothwane and a Richard Henyekane penalty sending the hosts into stunned silence.

Their hopes were raised after substitute Dennis Masina pulled one goal back in the second half, but this United team simply looked too poor to find what would have been a crucial second goal.

It must be said that they were not helped by Hunt's questionable tactics in a match that his men needed only to draw.

With two goals down, the SuperSport coach decided to withdraw Glen Salmon, who was the most threatening player in a white jersey.

Henyekane mesmerised Rudi Isaacs down the left flank
Surprisingly, with Salmon having taken his place on the bench, Hunt urged his men to pump high balls into the Arrows box, but Siyabonga Sangweni and Kagisho Dikgacoi easily dealt with those.

Hunt's substitutes, Fikru Terera and Masina, combined to score SuperSport's only goal on 71 minutes but you sensed that the lanky Salmon's influence was badly missed.

Arrows got their tactics right with Henyekane in particular looking most impressive. He mesmerised Rudi Isaacs down the left flank, although the striker did seem to make a meal out of a nudge from Morgan Gould on the stroke of half-time, prompting referee Charl Theron to award a penalty.

Henyekane stepped up to score his 18th Premiership goal, which makes him the favourite for the Golden Boot. But for all their dominance, Abafana Bes'thende got their first goal much against the run of play.

United had been camping in the Lamontville club's half in the opening few minutes, forcing goalkeeper Helton Da Rocha to make a couple of good saves, one of which was with his feet off Lerato Chabangu.

The Arrows keeper enjoyed some good fortune, though, when an Anthony Laffor header sailed just wide of goal with Da Rocha in no man's land.

But, critically, Arrows struck at the other end through Zothwane's headed goal and Henyekane's spot-kick and, had it not been for their profligacy, they may as well have inflicted a heavy defeat on United. Njabulo Manqana should have scored after rounding Andre Arendse, but could only fire weakly wide with the goal open.

The second half was a tightly contested affair, with Arrows withdrawing Dikgacoi from midfield into central defence to ensure United didn't bounce back. Were it not for nerves when they approached the final, Hunt's side may have found the second goal.

They were quietly smiling, however, on receiving news from Cape Town that Pirates had only managed a draw. But another desultory result such as this one and United might return from Stellenbosch with their champagne on ice, just as it was last night.

Ajax revival

Young Ajax Cape Town player Thulani Serero might have earned himself the freedom of Pretoria on Wednesday night with his 85th-minute equaliser against Orlando Pirates, reports John Goliath.

The Pretoria outfit will travel to the Stellenbosch to play Santos, who slaughtered Kaizer Chiefs 3-0 on Wednesday night at Loftus. Pirates will take on AmaZulu at their home ground, Coca-Cola Park, in the weekend's final round of Premiership matches

Pirates' finishing again let them down on the night. They ravaged Ajax in the first half and were unlucky not to go into the break with at least one goal.

It only took them five minutes in the second half to open the scoring when defender Lucas Thwala rose above the Ajax defence to head the corner from Joseph Kamwendo.

But instead of going level on points with SuperSport going into Saturday's matches they were stunned by a late Ajax revival. It was as though the Urban Warriors woke up from their slumber as the mist started to settle on Newlands.

And they were rewarded in the 85th minute when Serero's shot was deflected past Moeneeb Joseph in the Pirates goal.

The first half was all Pirates as Bafana wizard Teko Modise wove his magic in the midfield while Ajax were sitting back and waiting for Pirates to come at them.

The Pirates playmaker showed his class on a greasy and skiddy surface with some great ball control and some breathtaking touches.

His running off the ball was also excellent as he and Kamwendo combined well to terrorise the home team down the left flank. Modise's influence was felt in the 21st minute when he set up striker Katlego Mashego on the edge of the Ajax penalty area. Mashego's shot, though, was brilliantly saved by Andre Petim.

The controversy surrounding Craig Rosslee has surely had an impact on this Ajax side. Their body language said it all and it was only in the last few minutes that they started to play like they could.

Meanwhile Santos beat Chiefs by scoring three second-half goals. Romano Scott scored a brace, while Ryan Chapman chipped in a goal.

Chatsworth grind

AmaZulu and Wits scrapped out a goalless draw at Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday night, reports Kamlesh Gosai. The home side had the better of the attacking moves early on through speedy forward Dumisani Ngwenya.

He made sure Wits goalkeeper Energy Murambadoro lived up to his first name. In the first minute the Zimbabwean international blocked Ngwenya's shot with his legs.

In the fifth minute he again used his legs to knock out a cross from Ngwenya.

The striker benefited from surging wing play from Thabo Mabaso on the right and former Bafana star Japhet Zwane's nifty footwork on the left.

Although out of the running for championship glory and safe from relegation, both teams showed their desperation to qualify for the MTN 8 competition in 2010. At seventh place, Usuthu needed the win more than their fifth-placed counterparts.

    • This article was originally published on page 24 of The Mercury on May 07, 2009
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